This song really hits home.

Published October 25th

Vic Mensa has dedicated his career towards being a voice for those who are no longer with us, with his fighting spirit translating organically into his music.

After losing his friend Laquan McDonald at the hands of law enforcement, the rapper has been advocating for justice reform and helping to discuss what can be done to help combat the growing issue of police brutality.

In his new music video for "16 Shots," the rapper's song soundtracks footage from the slaying of the 17-year-old, highlighting Chicago's violence-stricken reality in an eye-opening, call-to-action montage.

The Grammy-nominated artist's track comes off his There's a Lot Going On EP, which features a collection of songs all focused on similar topics related to social justice and equality.

“This record is like self-defense,” Vic Mensa explains of the track's inspiration. "Because to me, Laquan McDonald represents Emmett Till, which represents every name down the line, and since then a lot of things have changed, but one main thing that hasn't changed is that our lives are not respected."

On top of passionately putting his mission into his music, the rapper also has teamed up with Respect My Vote, inspiring fans to make a pledge to vote to end police brutality.